Too Little, Too Late
by Annie Bell Johnson
Summary: "Cato! Cato!" She screams. Cato runs as fast as he can to be wherever she is, to be by her side. But by the time he arrives, it was too late. One-shot.


**Hi guys~ This is probably the longest "story" I've ever written. This is also dedicated to my lovely friend, Luna Mellia, because she ships Clato so much. I also dedicate this to Thalia Eltanin Malfoy, because she dedicates stories for me so I'm sort of...returning the favour? I don't really know if she's a Clato shipper, but anyway...I hope you guys like this!**

**Oh, and there's not much Clato in the first part, so skip it if you'd like. **

**Half-inspired by purebloodtribute's story, Love Always Clove ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the characters. And some parts are just tweaked versions of bits from Chapter 21, pp. 284-289.**

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I'm positioned here, a few feet away from the Cornucopia, just as Cato told me to.

The sun rises, and the ground before the mouth of the horn splits in two and a round table with a white cloth rises into the arena. On the table sit five backpacks: two large black ones with the numbers _2_ and _11_, a medium-sized green one with the number _5_, and a tiny orange one that must be for Lover Boy and his girlfriend.

And then the table clicks into place. Suddenly a figure comes running to it-it must be the girl from District 12. I ready one of my knives but she was too fast, and grabs the green backpack. Oh, it was the girl District 5. Hmm, I wonder when District 12's coming. She must be here. Unless she's protecting Lover Boy. Cato _had _hurt his leg pretty bad. But that can't be possible. I'm certain that she feels the same way about that Mellark. I can see it in her eyes. And everyone must have heard about this specific thing that we need the most at the moment. Now, what does District 12 need the most? That's right. Something for Lover Boy's leg. There's no way that she's going to let this chance of making his leg recover slip away.

Aha.

There she goes, sprinting towards the table. I aim for her and throw a knife at her. Ugh. She deflected it with her bow! Next thing I know is that an arrow is flying straight at my heart. I turn just in time to avoid it, but it still managed to stab my left arm. Gah. Pain surges throughout my arm. I remove the arrow with my right hand and ignore the blood. I rush towards Little Miss Everdeen now.

She's at the table, grabbing the backpack. I throw a knife at her again, just as she turns, and it caught her on the forehead. She's staggering backwards now, but she still tries to attack me with one of those blasted arrows. Pfft. It missed. I knock her down and pin her shoulders to the ground with my knees.

Before I kill her, though, I decide to taunt her a little bit. Just for fun.

"Where's your boyfriend, District 12? Still hanging on?"

"He's out there now. Hunting Cato," she snarls at me. He isn't in any condition to hunt for anyone, let alone a bad-ass like Cato... But, she still screams out his name. Could she be telling the truth? Just to make sure, I cut her off by jamming my fist on her throat and look at my surroundings. I don't see any Peeta here.

"Liar," I say, grinning. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some while you try to keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpsack? That medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

Okay. Serious time.

I open up my jacket to see an array of knives, their blades glinting at me. I particularly curved blade. "I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show." Yes, that's right. I promised Cato. I'm not gonna let him down. I won't let myself do that.

Ha. She actually bothered to try to dismount me. Pathetic.

"Forget it, District Twelve. We're going to kill you. Just like we did to your pathetic little ally. . . what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and then I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound?" I ask. The worried, panicky expression on her face is priceless. I _so _don't regret taunting her first. "Now, where do we start?"

I brush away the blood on her forehead with my jacket sleeve. Hmm, I wonder... how am I going to cut her? I haven't thought about it that much... It has to be good enough for the Capitol to be impressed with. For Cato to be impressed with. Ugh. She almost tried to bite me! But I'm to fast for her, I grab her by her hair and force her back to the ground. Ah. Now I know. "I think. . .I think we'll start with your mouth." As I trace the outline of her lips with the tip of the blade, she locks her teeth together. This is fun.

...What is she doing? Why is she staring at me like that? Weird. But forget that. I'll just keep taunting her.

"Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore." I say. "Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" Before I know it, she spits blood and saliva at my face. God, that was so disgusting and annoying, and just... I am liking her less and less every second. Not that I ever liked her. I could almost feel my face reddening with fury. Ugh. If that's how it is, then sure.

"All right then. Let's get started."

I was just about to cut her lip, when all of a sudden, something yanks me. I scream. What's happening? Who is this? It's...it's...it's that District 11 guy! What is he doing? Why did he just grab me like that? Are he and District 12 allies or something? God, no. I'm hanging a few feet from the ground. Next thing I know is he flips me around and jerks me to the ground.

"What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?" he yells at me.

"No! No, it wasn't me!" I reply, shaking with fear and backing away slowly.

"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her? You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?"

"No! No, I-" And then I see it. In his hand is a stone the size of a small loaf of bread. He is going to kill me. But I shouldn't be worrying like I am now. Cato's going to save me. He is. And so I shout his name at the top of my lungs. "Cato! Cato!"

"Clove!" He yells back. But he seems to be too far away. What was he doing? But there's no time to think about that. There's no time for anything. He's not going to make it.

I've disappointed him and I am going to die. Right here, right now.

And then District 11 finally decides to hit me on the temple with his rock. I fall to the ground, moaning with my dying breath. _Cato...where did you go? Why did you leave me? _

"Clove!" I hear him shout again.

::

"Cato! Cato!"

I turn around almost immediately and run towards the Cornucopia as I hear her shout my name. What's happened to her? Did District 12 actually have a chance against her? There's no way. She never misses. Never. I keep running as fast as I can. What if someone had already killed her? We both agreed that we'll shout each other's names if either of us were in extremely terrible danger. God, no.

As I run nearer to the Cornucopia, I shout her name again. No reply.

No. No no no no no. This can't be happening.

Just before I reach the Cornucopia, I see someone dashing away to a plain. Must be District 11. With two backpacks. Did he take ours...? Sod it. I'll deal with him later.

I run over to Clove and kneel beside her. "Clove." I say. She narrows her eyes at me. "Cato," she answers, her voice barely a whisper.

My eyes wander off to the large rock beside her head. She seems to have been hit on the temple pretty bad. So it must have been that District 11 guy. It couldn't have been the so-called girl on fire. As far as I know, she only uses her bow and arrow as a weapon. But enough of that. Let's get back to Clove. I've never seen her so vulnerable before. But she can still be saved. I'm sure of it. "Clove. Stay with me. Please." I beg her, holding her hand. But she just smiles weakly in response. And now I'm not so certain anymore. Who am I kidding? She can't be saved. No one can save her. _I _can't save her.

She seems to have noticed the hopeless expression on my face. "Cato?" she says. I look her in the eyes in response.

"Cato, I love you."

I freeze.

Wow. That was...shocking. I didn't expect that at all. Of all the things she would tell me. She didn't even scold me or anything, for being too late. For not always staying by her side. For not being able to protect her. And before I could even reply a simple "I love you too," which is what she had been expecting and wanting to hear, her hand slips away from mine, the cannon fires, and then it's over.

God, I'm so pathetic. I didn't get to save her. I was selfish, and stupid, and I wasn't thinking. I thought that while she was going off to kill Katniss and District 12, I'm going to go ahead and try to find either District 11 or District 5 and kill them. I was too busy trying to find them. I had gone too far off into the woods. I wasn't even thinking of what could have happened to her. I didn't consider the fact District 11 might be able to destroy her. And look at her now: dead, and lifeless. I didn't even get the chance to say the three little words that she might have wanted to hear before she died.

As for her, she's always been there for me. She comforted me whenever I was upset, she always knew what ever would cheer me up, she always tried her best to make me laugh, she always tried to make everything seem better than they really are. The last words I've heard from her and the last words she'd ever spoke were "Cato, I love you." But the last word she's heard from me was only her name. How am I supposed to return the favour? Now I just don't understand why she loves me.

I just want to tell her that I love her too. But there's no point now, she won't be around to hear it. Ever. ...What is this? What is happening? My face...it's wet. Am I actually...crying? I've never cried since I was a child. I can't believe I'm crying over this. It's just Clove. But no. It isn't _just _Clove. It's Clove: the girl who made me discover what it feels like to be happy. She became my best friend in a matter of days since we've first met (we were just children, then) and through everything that had happened we eventually fell in love with each other.

I still remember the first day I've met her, clear as day. I was at the Training Center as always, training for, well The Hunger Games, in case I ever got Reaped. (It was techically illegal to train for The Hunger Games beforehand, but what can I say? District 2 is sort of...special.) I was practicing with my sword as usual, when I heard a couple of teenagers who were talking about 'The Girl Who Never Misses.' This girl was apparently like, twelve, thirteen, maybe? And she caught my attention.

I walked over to the section where people threw knives. A bunch of people were staring at someone, clearly in awe. That must be her. And it was true; she never missed. She keeps hitting the target, like the flawless human being she is. Other than that, she was pretty. _Really _pretty. She seemed to have noticed me staring and glanced at me. I smirk at her, and she smirked back. She was amazing.

And looking at her now, it's just...sad, really.

It was then that I couldn't help myself. I leaned in towards her and placed my lips on hers. Screw the Capitol, who cares what they think? They probably won't include this, anyway. I hope they won't. But whatever. I have been waiting for this day since forever. This feeling is amazing.

But still.

I guess I won't be able to know if she's a good kisser or not. Pshh. I _do _know that she's a good kisser. It would be impossible if she isn't. I just wish I could have experienced it.

Okay, enough of this.

I'm going to win the Hunger Games. I'm going to win it for you, Clove.

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**A/N: **Yep, I know they didn't show the Clato kiss and they probably would have if it happened but um this is fanfiction therefore I can change stuff, and yes, they are sort of OOC but when you're in love, you sort of get OOC too. I guess. And the title is also lame. Yup. Hehe. Leave a review? Become a Grammar Nazi? No? Okay.


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